Jump to content

BMW

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 194.117.133.196 (talk) at 05:46, 25 July 2002 (added prewar history, stuff about emw & bristol, corrected bmw bike start to 1923). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren-Werke (anglicized, Bavarian motor works). They are one of several German quality automobile manufacturers but also make motorcycles.

The BMW logo is a circle divided into four quadrants of alternating white and light blue colour. This is a stylised representation of an aircraft propeller -- the company was originally an aircraft engine manufacturer, founded by Karl Friedrich Rapp in 1913 in Munich, being named "BMW" from 1916. Over-expansion caused difficulties, and the company was taken over by industrialist Franz Josef Popp.

In 1927 the tiny Dixi, an Austin Seven produced under license, began production in Eisenach. BMW bought the company the following year, and these became the company's first car, the BMW 3/15. By 1933 BMW were producing cars that could be called truly theirs, offering steadily more advanced 6-cylinder sports and saloon cars. The pre-war cars culminated in the beautiful 327 saloon and 328 sports car, fast 2-litre cars, both very advanced for their time.

After the war the Munich factory took some time to restart production in any volume. In the east, the company's factory at Eisenach was taken over by the state-owned Awtowelo group. That company offered "BMW"s for sale until 1951, when the Bavarian company prevented use of the trademarks: the name, the logo and the "double-kidney" radiator grille. The cars were then branded EMW (Eisenacher Motoren Werke), production continuing until 1955. In the west, the Bristol Aircraft Company inspected the factory, and returned with plans for the 326, 327 and 328 models. These plans, which became official war reparations, allowed the newly formed Bristol Cars to produce a new, high-quality sports saloon, the 400 by 1947, so similar to the BMW 327 that it even kept the famous BMW grille.

BMW motorcycles were first produced in 1923 and had an unusual "boxer twin" engine, with two air-cooled cylinders sticking out on opposite sides of the machine. Final drive was by shaft. Essentially the same basic design is still manufactured by the company today.


Links:

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BMW&oldid=123500"